


The Sun Rises and Sets

by NekoCas



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst and Feels, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Multi, Past Abuse, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-11-13 19:08:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18037151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NekoCas/pseuds/NekoCas
Summary: The story of a small group of outlaws within another, broken in their own ways. Cas Serine along with Alice Sage and her brothers, ride or die with the Van der Linde gang. Loyalty is everything to them, but to what? No matter what, some things stay the same. The loyalty to one another, the feelings they harbor, and the sun will rise in the east and set in the west.(Heavily surrounded by original characters. This was a terribly summary, but it will follow the events of Red Dead Redemption 2 with my own elements added in. Please enjoy.)(I will also try to update weekly, about every Friday or weekend, but I suck, so we'll see.)





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [alicefiresage](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alicefiresage/gifts).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the prologue. We hop into the story immediately after Blackwater. It will be told in third person, focusing mainly on Cas. I'm sorry for any errors, I tried to carefully proofread it myself. Cas is my own original character, while Alice, Daron, and Riley Sage all belong to my friend Alicefiresage.

The cold shock ran through her body. They had just finished a job when the words that came out of some drunkard's mouth sent their good mood plummeting. Word about the ferry job Dutch spoke about that went so far south, reached the town of Valentine where Cas and the others tried to stay low from their heist they had just succeeded in. It was just a quick drink in the saloon that ending up in Cas skidding out of the bar in a frantic panic. Alice and her brothers were not too far behind her, mounting their horses, spurring to catch up with Cas and her steed. They rode hard, wanting to reach Blackwater as quickly as they could. Cas didn't know what they'd do when they arrived, didn't know what they'd do if they didn't find them. Her mind was a jumbled mess.

"Cas we need to slow down, our horses can't take this!" Riley's voice caught up to her. She wanted to scream at him, tell him to go to hell. Finding the rest of their gang is what mattered most right now, she wanted to believe that over everything else, but the soft cries from her horse pleaded her to stop, to rest for now. She brought her hungarian to a stop.

"Let's set up camp here, just for now, let the horses rest for an hour, and we'll get right back to it." Daron was the one trying to reach her now. Almost pleading with her to just rest for a little bit. No one knew what they were going to find or what they were getting themselves into.

Alice walked over to her, resting a hand on her shoulder. "We'll find them, it'll be okay. We just need to stay calm." She knew what happens when Cas gets too inside of her own head. She knew Cas needed to calm down. She did for now, set up a fire and hitched their horses to the trees surrounding their temporary site.

The night was chilly and the fire flickered softly, illuminating the four worried faces in a soft glow. Just an hour and they'll be off again. By the time they reached Blackwater, it will be early dawn.

Cas sat anxiously, bobbing her knee, watching her horse rest. She was going to leave in an hour, with or without the rest of them. Her head was swimming with the worst thoughts. Worried of who might have died, or who might have gotten arrested, or possibly if Arthur even made it out of there. A hand on her knee jolted her out of her thoughts. Her eyes rose up the arm to be met with Alice's worried features. Her black hair was loose from her bun, and her blue eyes swam with uncertain pity.

"Everything will be alright. You know Arthur, and Dutch, they'll make sure everyone gets out of there. We'll find them." Her lips pulled into a reassuring smile. Cas envied her positivity and ability to stay level-headed in such a scary situation. So much so, that all she could do was nod her head. It was enough for Alice before she settled back down, chatting softly with her brothers.

The hour crawled by slowly, but soon enough, they were on the trail again riding towards West Elizabeth. They had made the plan around the fire. Riley was going with Cas to scope out Blackwater, and Alice and Daron will be checking the camp to see if they somehow were still there. At the end of the search, they planned to meet up at Strawberry.

Once they split ways, Cas and Riley headed straight for the saloon, hitching their horses outside. They hoped their faces weren't tied to the Van der Linde gang. Just long enough for their search to go smoothly.

Cas hung out at the bar, buying drinks to loosen the tongues of the men that stood with her, and Riley headed towards the poker table. Equally, they both got some of the information they needed.

"Yeah, some fools decided to rob the ferry in town."

"It was a complete mess, a bloody mess."

"I heard they got one of them locked away."

"No, that was just what they want us to believe. Setting an example."

"I guess they weren't as lucky as they thought they were going to be."

"Some poor girl was shot. Sad that such a young lady would run with a gang."

Cas and Riley had both had enough drunken talk, both deciding to ride over to Strawberry rather than staying in Blackwater any longer than they have to. They don't need to risk being recognized and ending up in a less than ideal state.

"Do you think they really got someone?" Cas broke the silence of their ride.

"I really can't say, who would it be? I can't even remember who all decided to go on that stupid mission." Riley sighed, shaking his head.

"Neither do I..." Cas was overwhelmed with worry. She wondered if they should have just stayed in camp. "The girl they were talking about." She was scared of the reality of what that drunkard said. "Do you think it was Jenny?" They slowed down to a canter.

"I really hope not. I hope it's just some mistake." Worry laced his words. "Let's not talk anymore about this. We're almost to Strawberry. Let's wait to tell my sister." He was right, it would be better to wait and talk to them. Cas silently hoped they found camp and they'd all just be going home soon.

The two of them quickly found the horses of the other two. They entered the Inn and there Alice and Daron sat with grim expressions. Cas' stomach dropped, fearing the worst.

"How did it go?" Cas' small voice spoke up. Alice wouldn't meet her eyes, making her stomach drop further into the pit of fear she had.

"We didn't find a thing, not a damn thing." Daron was the one to answer. "Not even a sign that they were there. Nothing. No letter for us, no signs, no leads." His voice was gruff and sour.

"What about you two?" Alice's voice was disheartened. She missed him and Cas knew it. Alice missed him just as much as she missed Arthur.

"Um, well, we went to the saloon. There's a lot going around we aren't sure what to make of it." Cas took a seat across from Alice, loose strands falling out of her half ponytail.

"It was nasty. A bloody mess as someone put it." Riley continued for her, realizing she couldn't bring herself to say much more. "A girl was said to be shot, and someone was said to be caught. We don't know who, all we had was some whiskey charmed tongues to go off of." Riley ran his hands through his short raven hair, matching closely to that of his twin's cut. He sat beside Daron, both looking more similar with their grim expressions.

"I don't remember who all went. I know..." Alice sighed, sitting back in the oak chair she found comfort in. "Hosea and Arthur, they weren't there." She found little comfort in those words, but still enough to keep her sane. "Was it Jenny?" They all had liked Jenny, she was sweet, helped when she could. Lenny was sweet on her.

"Let's not jump to conclusions. We just..." Daron tried his best to calm everyone down. "We'll try to find them, find some information, see if anyone has seen or heard anything that sounds like them. It won't be long until we are thrown into the Van der Linde circle for people to recognize." Alice looked towards him, and slowly to the rest of the group, words itching on her lips.

"I know no one is going to want to hear this, but," she looked away, a hand rubbing the back of her neck, "if we can't find them, maybe we should lead a different life. Maybe, something a little more honorable, a life we can make something out of. Just if we can't find them." Alice looked up to find the somber looks on her companions' faces.

"I think you're right. As much as that's nothing like any of us, you're right." Daron was the first to reply, a sad chuckle slipping through his throat.

"Let's get some rooms. We'll rest tonight and start tomorrow." Riley was quiet as he spoke. Their successful job went sour quickly. Now they don't know what they're going to do, where they are going to go, or whether their lives will change.

"Sounds like a plan." Cas followed behind the three siblings up to the counter where an annoyed man stood, ready to give them their rooms.

Cas sat up late that night, sitting beside the window, eyes focused on the night sky. What was she going to do without the rest of their family, without Charles and Javier... and Arthur? Without all the girls who kept her easy company, like Mary-Beth and  Tilly.

Cas reached into her satchel, pulling out a journal Arthur had bought for her in Blackwater weeks ago. A small sketch of Arthur with Boudicca was the only thing that sat inside its pages. She stared at it for a while before turning the page and putting pencil to paper.

 

_'Blackwater Massacre._

_What sort of trouble did Dutch put everyone in? I knew it would go wrong, as did Arthur and the Sages. Deep down, everyone must have known. Now, we can't find them, not a damn thing. I'm a bit worried we'll never see them again. What if they all left? How will we ever find them besides pure luck on our part?_

_Alice and the boys suggest that we try our best and move on if nothing comes up. I'm not so sure. We've ran this life for so long, I'm not sure we can give it up so easily. What would we do? I'm not sure what kind of experience those three had, but this is all I know how to do. There's no way in hell I'm going back to the life I had before my real family._

_I guess I'll hope for the best, but I really don't think we'll find them, especially with no leads. I'm scared we'll never be a family again, that we'll all give up the adventure we once had._

_Writing this sort of helped I guess, thank you Arthur. I hope I'll see you again soon to thank you in person.'_


	2. Valentine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The start of our story, where the Sages and Cas have been staying in Valentine for a while still on the search for any leads on the rest of their gang.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I proofread this while also half asleep, so we'll see how this will go. Enjoy the first chapter!

Valentine was the muddy hole it always had been. Cas, Alice, Daron, and Riley all found places to be in this small cattle town. Daron, a ranch hand, Alice, a barmaid, Riley, a bounty hunter, and Cas, an Inn worker. They weren't all too happy, clearly missing the lives they once had, but they were making the best of it. Plus, they haven't completely stopped looking. Their jobs each gave them something useful. Daron was able to stable their horses, Riley was able to keep an eye out for any bounties that might resemble the gang, Alice was able to listen to the drunkards about any gossip they had to spill, and Cas...well Cas gave them all a place to sleep.

It was an early afternoon when Cas came out of the Inn. She made her way across the sloppy road to the noisy saloon where Alice was quietly working.

"Honey, I'm back!" Cas smiled, pushing through the swinging doors, her reddish brown hair falling in front of her eyes. She pushed her long bangs behind her ear before strolling up to the bar. Alice rolled her eyes, her hair perfectly pulled back into a low-set bun.

"Lunch time?" Alice put down the glass she was drying to focus her attention on her small sister-like friend. In return, Cas smiled with a short nod of her head. "What will it be this time?" Cas hovered over the specials for the day.

"I don't know, that bowl of oatmeal seems like a great choice." Her finger drew under the words as she thought it out. "But, I think I want to try the stew today." Alice rolled her eyes and retrieved a bowl of stew for her to eat.

Cas happily ate her stew as Alice began talking about the morning.

"Not much has been comin' in. Honestly haven't heard anything related to thieving or hold-ups." Alice went back to the glass she set on the counter top. "Not that anyone would go to the saloon to tell about their misfortunes of being robbed on the trail." She scoffed, eyes scanning the men and courtesans that gathered for drinks and poker.

"Yeah, haven't had many travelers come in for baths that had great stories to tell. It's kind of weird when they talk about their wives or kids. I don't need to know this while helping you, I'd much rather hear about how your ass got robbed by a couple of outlaws." The girls laughed.

They didn't talk much more as the noon regulars came in for their afternoon beers. Cas was close to finishing her lunch when an arm circled around her shoulders. She tensed for a moment before a familiar voice reached her ears in a loud laugh.

"Guess who just scored fifty dollars from a bounty?!" Riley was happy to be getting some bounties added to his profile. He had a dry spell for about a week before he was back at it again.

"Was he alive this time?" Alice teased her younger sibling with a smirk on her lips. The brother just frowned before leaning on the bar himself.

"Have you had any luck come your way?" Riley knew what Cas meant, and just replied with a shake of his head.

"Not a damn thing." Riley downed a shot of whiskey that Alice sat before him. Cas' face twisted into that of disappointment. Riley looked at her with a pitied smile. "I'm going to assume neither of you guys did either." He patted her shoulder when she shook her head. "Something will pop up eventually. When we least expect it." He smiled. They never had really gotten along before, but with the situation so grim, they've learned to tolerate each other.

"Anyways, I think I should get back to the Inn. I'll see you both tonight." Cas had left with a nod and a wave to the brother and sister who stood at the bar.

She exited the bar and a look to the right showed Daron eating dirt due to a fussy horse that just didn't want to be put in a pin. Cas about died in the middle of the street, both from a fit of laughter and from a carriage that decided to pull through the main road. She quickly scooted out of the way and scurried across the street to the Inn doors. Inside, she was greeted with a small wave from the man inside. Harvey was his name, a nice man in his late twenties who ran the Inn.

"Have a nice lunch?" He asked in a soft voice. "Did you try the stew this time or stick with your oatmeal and strawberries?" He chuckled lightly, trying to make small talk while the Inn was deserted from travelers and customers seeking a place to stay for the night.

"As much as the oatmeal and strawberries sounded nice, I gave that stew a try." Cas was polite as she grabbed a rag and started wiping down the dusty windows.

"Alright Cat, well, be ready for anyone who might come in. I'm going to have lunch with my wife, I'll be back shortly." He threw on his coat and walked out the door with a wave of his hand.

They all had changed their names for Valentine, just to be extra safe. Cas went by Cat, Alice by Ali, Riley by Ryan, and Daron by Danny. Not much thought went into the names, but it was enough for now. Simplicity works well for a simple-minded cattle town.

The day dragged on with little customers in the Inn. A few men looking for rooms and one just wanted a bath, which thankfully one of the other Inn maids took care of. It was getting late, Alice, Daron and Riley all had joined together in the room they shared in the Inn.

When Cas entered the room dressed for sleep, the boys sat on their respective mats and Alice sat on the edge of the bed, brushing out her charcoal colored hair before tying it in a maroon ribbon. Her blue eyes glanced up at her newly arrived friend.

"All done?" Alice smiled, brushing through the tips of her hair with her fingers. Cas plopped down beside her on the bed, falling back into the cotton bedspread.

"Damn I hope so." Cas grabbed a hair tie from their side table and tied back the top half of her hair, including her bangs. It was the style she wore on missions and tasks, how she usually looked around camp, and how she'll continue to look around the last bit of family she had around her. "Beth went home, so if someone does come in for a bath, I'll have to check on them. So I guess you could say, I'm a step in tonight."

"That sucks. Well, sucks to be you so I'll just go ahead and relax for you." Riley smirked, laying back on his makeshift bed. Cas glowered, tossing her brush at him. It narrowly missed his head causing him to stiffen, then glare in her direction. She stuck her tongue out at him before rummaging through her satchel to retrieve her journal.

"So, I'm thinking we should all go on a camping trip. We can go fishing and hunting, just like we used to." Daron rested his back against the foot of the bed, his nose in a ledger of their current funds. "We could definitely afford a few days. Or maybe head over to Emerald Ranch and see how that is, in case we have to move." Daron almost sounded like he was talking to himself, flipping through the pages silently.

"We could do that, or, we could just find a new place to go entirely. Somewhere a little bigger with more to do." Riley was bored, utterly and completely bored with life here in Valentine. "Maybe you could find us something to rob. A train perhaps? Haven't done that in a while." Riley's voice was quiet, knowing how Daron was going to counteract everything he had just said.

"Probably because there are only four of us now, and there's guns and equipment we lost when camp moved. The most reasonable thing to do is stay out of the law's eyes and lead the new lives we have chosen for ourselves, at least until we find the others." Daron deadpanned. He was clearly annoyed with his younger twin. Alice distracted herself with a book as the brothers spoke. She knew they would work it out themselves. It was all just a spat between two irritated brothers on edge.

A knock on the door quieted the room in an instant. Cas slowly stood up, walking to the door with a sigh. She ripped the hair tie out of her hair before she pulled the door open. There stood  Harvey with an apologetic smile. Cas hoped her displeasure didn't show on her face as she stood before him.

"I deeply apologize, but we have a man that just walked in for a bath and room. Could you check on him for me please? If he doesn't need anything, you're free to go back to bed!" He looked down at her current attire before sheepishly looking towards her, a hand on the back of his neck. She looked down at her clothes, a simple black chemise and a loose pair of drawers that reached her ankles, turning sheer at about her thighs. "I'm not sure your clothes are appropriate but I don't want you to keep him waiting." She huffed softly before he waved his hands in a dismissive way. "Do what you want! I'm sorry, I do realize you were getting ready for bed. Please don't take it the wrong way." He chuckled lightly before leaving her in the doorway. Cas shook her head as he retreated back to the front.

"Have fun chicka." Alice chuckled lightly. "Want to borrow a cover?" A smiled poking at the corners of her mouth.

"I'll be alright. If I'm lucky he'll say no." Cas' chuckle ended in a sigh as she closed the door behind her.

Her feet padded softly on the wood floors leading to the bath room. She stood in front of the door, praying that the answer would be 'no'. She tapped against the wood softly creating a soft rhythm to echo the hallway.

"Mister, would you like some help washing up this evening?" She spoke softly, leaning her forehead against the cold oak.

"Sure, I guess." A deep voice drawled out from inside the room. She cursed silently in her head, dropping her gaze to the wood beneath her feet. Her hand rested on the handle.

"I apologize for my attire in advance, sir." She opened the door quietly, her eyes still glued to the dark wood illuminated by the soft glow of the lit lantern inside. She turned her back to him to close the door slowly, waiting to endure any crude comments or catcalls. The door clicked shut, relieved to hear neither, she spun around slowly to greet the man awaiting his bath.

Then the world stopped turning when her eyes rested on him. Her amber eyes went wide as she stared at the man covered in soap suds. Her knees almost buckled under her as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Arthur?" Her voice cracked. His crystal blue-green eyes gazed at her in surprise. "Is it really you, Arthur? Arthur Morgan?" She slowly advanced towards the tub in a surprised state. He sat up slowly, his relaxed state had disappeared.

"Cas? How did you...?" He was cut off by her practically jumping into the tub to wrap her arms around his neck. He immediately stiffened, quite embarrassed and stunned about the woman basically jumping into the tub with him.

"Oh, Arthur! We've been looking for you, all of you!" She practically sobbed into the crook of his neck. "We went back to Blackwater and didn't know what happened or where any of you have gone!" His hands ghosted over her shoulders, too shy to touch her. "I've missed you all! I can't even begin to express it." She pulled back to look him in the face, his face flushed and his eyes darting away from her. A look of confusion started before she realized just what kind of position she was in. It wouldn't be thought decent to lay halfway in someone else's tub while they were trying to take a bath.

She pushed herself away from him quickly, the bottom half of the front of her chemise was wet. Embarrassment painted her cheeks as she ran her hands through her hair.

"Sorry about that." She chuckled lightly. "I'll uh... I'll go tell the others!" Without much thought, she turned heel and stumbled to the door. She paused with her hand on the cold handle. She turned slightly, her hand brushing her bangs out of her face. "Do you need... or still want my help?" She looked at him, ears burning. His eyes widened before averting his gaze.

"No, I'll be right out Miss Serine." He sunk further into the water, his eyes looking anywhere but her. She smiled and turned away from him.

"Sorry to ruin your bath. I'll wait for you out here Mister Morgan." She quickly scurried out the door, shutting it behind her quietly. She leaned back into it, her heart beating quickly. The crown of her head touched the door as she looked up at the ceiling above. Silent tears streamed down her face, a disbelieving smile on her lips. Her hands covered her eyes as she quietly sobbed. She scooted along the wall before sliding down on to the floor beside the bath door.

It was only a few minutes before Arthur stepped out from the bath room. He quickly noticed the curled up Cas by the door, almost looked to be asleep with her forehead resting on her knees. He knelt beside her, resting a hand gently on the top of her head.

"Miss Cas, get up now." She looked up at him, eyes slightly puffy. She smiled softly, getting up and grabbing his sleeve to drag him along.

"I missed you Arthur." She whispered softly, a sentence he almost didn't catch. Even with his sleeve in her grasp, she still couldn't believe it was really him.

They came to a door tucked away. She rapped her knuckles softly on the wood before opening it a crack and sticking her head in, Arthur behind her and out of sight.

"Alice." She spoke softly, catching the girl off guard. "Boys. I have... a surprise." She tried her hardest to contain her excitement. She blindly reached behind her and grabbed the hand of the much taller cowboy. She opened the door wider and pulled him inside with her. The jaws of the Sages dropped in surprise. Alice was the first to jump to her feet and greet the man with a hug.

"My god Arthur! I never thought we'd see you again." She laughed, wondering if she was actually dreaming or not. Both brothers rose to their feet. Daron held a face of surprise while Riley had a shit-eating grin, almost directed towards Daron.

"Are we allowed to come back home now?" Riley spoke up, excitement lacing his words. Daron's face relaxed, because in the end, he missed that life.

"Now hold on, we'll talk in the mornin'. We weren't sure what happened to y'all. Dutch suspected the worst. You know how he can be recently." Arthur shifted his weight when Alice released him. "We'll meet up in the morning. Sorry to cut this short, but it is rather late." Arthur back-stepped.

"We can talk in the Saloon tomorrow." Alice sat back down on the bed as the brothers settled once more.

Arthur nodded his head, resting his hand briefly on Cas' head before leaving out the door and continuing towards his own rented room. Cas watched him leave before turning to the other three after she had shut the door.

"We did it." She choked out, overcome with happiness. Alice smiled gently at her.

"Let's get to bed. We'll figure out what to do tomorrow." Alice patted the bed as a signal for her to lay down and rest.

Cas crawled into the other side of the bed, pulling out her journal and pencil, almost too happy to write properly.

 

_' Arthur. I can't believe it still. Even after holding you in my arms. I'm almost afraid to fall asleep. I don't want to wake up from this being a dream. I can't wait to go home. I don't think I'm prepared to see everyone again. I missed the life._

_I can't begin to even comprehend all of the feelings I harbor. Joy, sadness, fear, relief... I hope that soon everything will be back to normal._

_I sure am happy to see you Arthur. Sorry for jumping into your bath. It was mighty improper of me. I was just too excited to see you. I wanted to see if you were real. To touch you for myself. I missed the sky of your eyes and your smooth voice. Most importantly, I missed riding with you._

_Tomorrow.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd be happy to hear from you! Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated! I hope you enjoyed!


	3. Horseshoe Overlook

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After finding Arthur, the right-hand man of the Van der Linde gang's leader, the four are ready to head home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I hope this chapter is ready enough to post! It is a few days late, but I proofread it to the best of my abilities as well as fixing a few errors in the previous chapters that I found when I reread it. I hope you enjoy and I hope to have chapter 3 written and typed up soon where it will be ready to post this weekend.

They were up at the crack of dawn almost, packing what little they had into their bags. Cas, as well as Alice, decided to ditch their dresses and break out their outlaw outfits again. Cas stood in front of the dresser mirror, a pair of black jeans and a black french button up. A vertically striped vest in dark green flattered her figure. She reached into her satchel, grabbing her pair of black riding gloves and her neckerchief.

"You almost ready?" Alice stood behind her, her hair in a low bun wearing a deep red blouse and black half-corset. Cas' hands were pulling back her hair once more, a faint smile on her features.

"Of course. I'll be right out." Cas watched her walk out the bedroom. She looked back into the mirror, a hand trying to brush the stray hairs off of her forehead. She turned away from the dresser, sitting on the bed and slipping on a pair of dark leather boots with metal toes with a lighter strap of leather that wrapped around the arch and the heel of the boot.

She sat on the bed a bit more, ready to go, but anxious to meet up with everyone else. She popped her shoulders, looking around the now bare room. She was ready. She threw on her satchel and continued her way out of the Inn. She waved goodbye before walking her way to the saloon.

The first thing she noticed were their horses hitched outside. Nova immediately turned to her owner when she walked up. Cas ran her hand along her black to silver faded mane, and patted lightly. She had missed her. She reached into her saddle bag, pulling out a sugar-cube to feed the sweet hungarian.

She stared at the saloon doors, patting her horse one last time before hopping up on the porch and walking in. She instantly found the table the three boys and Alice occupied. Way in the back, they all talked together, a drink in front of each of them. Cas walked up quietly, finding a spot between Alice and Daron. Arthur nodded towards her, ready to begin.

"So, now that we're all here. What do we have to talk about before going home?" Riley shot a look towards the small female, slightly annoyed with her knack to always be late without fail.

"First off, where have y'all been? Dutch feared you all left." Arthur sipped on the beer in front of him, looking at the four expectedly.

"We were on a job when Blackwater happened. We were actually here in Valentine after. Was going to rest the night before heading that way, but word of Blackwater somehow traveled here. We were worried so we went off to see." Alice began explaining, a shot of whiskey in her hand. She looked toward Daron who began explaining when she took a drink.

"We checked both Blackwater and the campsite. We didn't find a single sign from you guys." Daron was calm.

"We heard a couple of rumors in the Blackwater saloon, but weren't sure what to think of them. Fools said it was a massacre, a girl shot and someone captured. We had nothing solid to go off of." Arthur looked to Riley who took the story from Daron who scowled slightly. They were a bit tense from the current situation they sat in.

"We looked for you guys, we really did. We just... didn't know where to look. We checked Strawberry and Emerald Ranch. We decided to stay here, hopin' something would happen." Cas looked hopefully towards the older cowboy. "We didn't abandon the gang. We didn't know where to go. We just want to go back home to you all." Cas' lips formed a soft smile. Arthur sighed.

"Well I reckon we should get you four home." Arthur stood up from the table, leading them all outside. He mounted a newer horse, a thoroughbred in a dark bay coat. It wasn't Boudicca. That alone made Cas' face fall. He loved that horse.

"So, did anything too bad happen at Blackwater?" Daron trotted on his horse beside Riley.

"Yeah. We lost Jenny and the Callander boys," Arthur's voice was low and gruff. His stiffened posture showed he was still upset over it all.

"We were afraid of that." Riley spoke softly, stroking the mane of his horse as they rode the trail.

"Other than that, everyone's okay." Arthur slowed down to a canter when a group of other riders passed them. Cas pushed Nova a little further to trot beside him.

"Is Dutch mad at us?" Arthur sighed. He didn't look toward her.

"No, but y'know how Dutch is. We're just trying to get back on our feet now, so I think he'll appreciate havin' you four back." Arthur then rode ahead of her, taking the lead. Cas wasn't so sure, still anxious of the words they would be having with Dutch.

He led them off the trail into the trees. Ahead of them was a clearing, the camp was set up on top of a lookout. The horses all grazed while a few people here and there were either doing chores or having some down time.

It wasn't long before camp took notice of their arrival. In fact it didn't take long at all for Hosea to rush over, helping Alice off of Alistar, her Clydesdale, just to pull her into a tight embrace. Her arms wrapped around him in quiet enthusiasm, her face buried in the crook of his neck.

Cas smiled at the exchange, and for once, the brothers were silent. No teasing of any kind came from their mouths as they watched their older sister be swept into bliss.

The sudden movement of Nova jolted Cas out of her thoughts. She saw Arthur hitch her horse before reaching for her hand to help her off her hungarian. She smiled, even though his hand was quick to leave her's. A gentleman he was.

"Sages, Serine!" Cas grimaced as the voice reached them, tearing them out of the calm they had when they entered the camp. Dutch walked over, cigar in his hand, and an unforgiving look in his eyes.

"Dutch, good to see you again." Alice pulled away from Matthews to greet him. Dutch made a beckoning hand gesture to the four to follow him to his tent.

Cas was reluctant to move, knowing just how crazy Dutch was about loyalty, and how he already suspected them of being disloyal. A hand pressed softly on her back, urging her forward. Arthur walked beside her, his lips pressing together in a thin line. She wondered what he had endured while they were gone.

By the time they had reached the tent, the heated exchange had already began. The brothers stood in the back near where Arthur had pushed both of them through the canvas opening. She wondered if Arthur was there for moral support, or for a reason of his own. Either way, his hand never left her back.

"Honestly Dutch? How do you expect us to find you when you left no clue as to where you even went?!" Alice grit her teeth, blue eyes on fire. It wasn't uncommon for them to butt heads when something goes a bit sideways.

"Then what were you doing all that time you were away?" Dutch took a step toward her, trying to keep his voice low from the rest of camp that was right outside.

"Waiting for any leads. For fuck's sake Dutch. Where's your faith in us?" Alice crossed her arms over her chest. Before Dutch could get another word out, Arthur stepped forward in front of Cas.

"Dutch, I already talked to them back in Valentine. They made the right choice. Instead of running off somewhere, they sat in a town worth robbing, and waited for any signs of us." Arthur's tone was less demanding and more catered to what Dutch would expect from a loyal member of the gang. Alice rolled her eyes, foot tapping impatiently. Cas knew what she was thinking. Just why the hell we all stood before him and why he acted this way to only them. They'd talked about it many times. Many, many times.

Cas released the tension built up in her shoulders when Dutch had dismissed them, telling them to start doing jobs again. Something about having a plan but needing more money.

Cas was the last to leave, bumping into the backs of Daron and Riley once out.

"The hell?" Cas questioned them before following their sights to... a man tied to a tree? "What?" In unison, they all tilted their heads in utter confusion.

"Don't mind him, just a dirty O'Driscoll." Bill's voice brought them out of their tilted stare. "Welcome back by the way." Riley walked with him, asking about anything interesting that might've happened without him.

"Hey!" An excited voice and body wrapped its arms around the last Sage and Cas.

"Javier!" Cas greeted, turning and wrapping him in a hug. If there was one thing she missed most about camp, it was the music Javier would play. She missed singing around the campfire. There were even times where the Sage brothers would grab instruments and Alice would join her.

He was quick to leave her though, to head to guard duty. She was left standing alone as Daron had wandered off somewhere. Cas had debated on where to go. Wondering if she should find and set up her tent or if she should greet the rest of the gang she hadn't seen in a while. She had taken just a bit too long deciding though.

"Miss Serine!" A very disgruntled Grimshaw pulled her by her shoulder. "Now that you're back, there are some chores with your name on it!" Cas grumbled under her breath as Grimshaw loomed over her.

"What about my tent and all-" She was cut off by the elder woman gripping her bicep and pulling her toward the cutting block.

"That can wait until you're done pulling your weight. You've weaseled your way out of work for far too long." She pushed the younger female toward the pile of wood. "Now get to it!"

That's how her day went. She chopped wood, fed horses and chickens, even helped little  Jack! Even though that last one was far from a chore. She may have taken a break to play with the young boy before Grimshaw put her to work once more; this time with helping Abigail hang laundry. She also had the pleasure of meeting a broken woman by the name of Sadie Adler. Cas empathized with her.

It was getting later in the afternoon when a wagon pulled in, driven by Uncle with the girls in the back. No wonder Grimshaw harped on her all day. Her quiet envy turned into pity when she saw the black eye Karen was nursing. Something must have happened in town, but at least she, Mary-Beth and Tilly were all okay. She debated on asking her about it later, but figured the blonde wouldn't want to relive it.

Speaking of, it was also the first time Cas saw Alice today, She sat at a table, leaning on Hosea's shoulder to read a book along with him. Cas was on her way over to the pair when the brothers passed her, hauling a deer on each of their shoulders. They headed straight for Pearson. _So that's where they've been._ She paid them no further attention and continued onward to her best friend.

"Cas! Ms. Cas!" Cas deflated mid-step before turning around to see Mr. Pearson. "Would you mind helping me make the stew for the night? The Sage twins brought in good venison, but they're too busy to help. And two deer is pretty hard to skin when you have other ingredients to cut and prepare." Pearson almost pleaded with her. She sighed, deciding it was probably the best option to help. If Grimshaw caught wind of it, she probably would have to help anyhow. She followed him to his work station and began skinning and preparing the venison while Pearson cut up vegetables to add into the boiling pot. It was a quiet job except for the Navy stories he had decided to tell her. Even still, the cooking went smoothly. Cas had cooked the meat a bit before adding it to the softened vegetables and broth. Cas even took it upon herself to add chives and white onions to the mixture.

It was dusk when the stew was finally finished. Cas had long ago taken her hair out of her tie and now she sat at a campfire with her own bowl of stew in her hand. She rested her back against the log Alice sat on, a beer in the Sage's hand as she sat beside Cas.

"So where you run off to? Ms. Grimshaw hasn't left me alone all damn day." Cas grumbled, shoving a spoonful into her mouth. Alice chuckled, patting Cas' head and taking a sip from her beer before answering.

"I set up my tent and just kind of spent time with Hosea." She started laughing when she saw the glare Cas was shooting at her. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She giggled as Cas went back to her food.

"Happy you're back?" Cas asked, eating slower as her stew was coming to an end.

"Yeah. Could've done without the heckling from Dutch, but it's good to be back." She gazed into the fire. The flames swirled with the blue of her eyes. "So I forgot to ask." Cas shot her a curious look. "How did that bath go in Valentine?" Her eyes sparkled with mischief as Cas choked on her spoon.

"Nothing happened!" The auburn headed girl cried, face red as she abruptly stood up. Alice tried to tease her further before Javier hollered to grab their attention from the other campfire more in the middle of camp.

"Ladies! How about a song to celebrate your homecoming and for old times sake?" Javier smiled with his guitar in hand.

"Sure!" Alice was the first to accompany Javier, her brothers, and the few who were still up and about this evening. Cas walked over as well after she had put her bowl away. Cas took a seat on the ground next to the chair Alice occupied.

"What would you ladies like?" Javier's fingers strummed across the strings, emanating the sounds of an in-tune guitar.

"Pat Works on the Railway sound good?" Alice asked, drawing excitement out of Riley. It was his favorite to play.

_In 1841 they put me corduroy britches on, they put me corduroy britches on to work upon the railway-_

Daron started off singing.

_In 1843 t'was when I met sweet Biddy McGee. An elegant wife she's been to me, while working on the railway-_

Riley, Cas and Alice all had joined him in the rest of the verses and the chorus in harmony.

_Filli-me-oo-ree-oo-ree-aye Filli-me-oo-ree-oo-ree-aye Filli-me-oo-ree-oo-ree-aye To work upon the railway!_

Javier was overjoyed to be playing something upbeat along with Riley who used an old fiddle.

_Filli-me-oo-ree-oo-ree-aye Filli-me-oo-ree-oo-ree-aye Filli-me-oo-ree-oo-ree-aye To work upon the railway!_

Shortly after the song had ended, Daron and Riley decided to retire for the night. Alice was soon to follow when Hosea got back to camp, and of course her tent was close to his near the entrance of camp. So all who was left around the fire was Javier, Cas, Uncle and Bill who showed up only a minute prior to Alice taking her leave. Cas thought about going as well for a minute before she realized she still didn't have a tent up. That, and Javier asked for another song.

"Sure." She smiled. "What would you like? Nothing too hard, I just got back." She joked. Javier thought for a moment before playing a tune she knew well.

"Good choice!" Uncle said, leaning back in his chair. That lazy old man she hadn't quite missed, but was glad to have the company of.

_Oh, my darlin', oh, my darlin', oh, my darlin' Clementine. You are lost and gone forever, dreadful sorry Clementine._

Cas sung softly to the notes Javier would play. She suspected it was one of his favorites.

_Ruby lips above the water, blowin' bubbles soft and fine. But, alas, I was no swimmer, so I lost my Clementine._

The song was calm throughout, almost putting Uncle to sleep alongside the drunken state he was already in. Javier smiled as the tune came to an end. Then with that, and a couple of jokes from Bill, also in a drunken stupor, the three men decided to call it a night. They had left Cas alone by the fire. She took the chance to pull her journal from her satchel and began doodling down anything that caught her eye, whether it be tents, distant trees, or just a couple of barrels.

She was so enthralled in her sketching of the flickering campfire, she almost didn't notice the silhouette that took the chair beside her.

"Finally usin' that journal I gave ya'?" Arthur looked down at her. She smiled at the pages before closing the leather book and looking up at him.

"Yeah. Keeps me calm." She slid the book back into her bag. "How've you been Mister Morgan? First I've seen you so relaxed." She turned to him, sitting cross-legged. A half chuckled sounded from his throat.

"I've been just fine. Tryin' to keep everything going." He slid down in his seat a bit, crossing his ankles with his arms folded across his chest. "Y'know how it is." His icy green-blue eyes never strayed from the fire. A calm but hardened look took shape before another sigh escaped his lips.

"Why not get some rest and take the day off tomorrow? Hell, I'll even go with you. Grimshaw gave me all kinds of hell today and I'd much rather disappear before she finds me again." Cas tried to joke. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth before he gave her a skeptical look. She shrugged her shoulders.

"So what are you doing here by the fire Miss Cas? Why aren't you in your tent yet?" Cas kinda chuckled sheepishly, shying away from his stare.

"To be honest, I never got to put it up. Grimshaw sorta kept me busy all day. Only break I got was playing with little Jack." She ran her hand through her hair, looking up at him through the bangs that fell back in her face. "I was going to do it earlier but Pearson asked for help with the stew and that took all evening." Arthur almost started laughing before turning back towards the fire.

"I already have your tent up. Charlies helped me when y'all were having dinner." Arthur had this smile on his face that made Cas want to melt.

"Really?" She asked in disbelief. "You did that for little ol' me?" She tried to tease the man, feeling a bit confident with no one else around. His chuckle was a deep rumble.

"O'course I did, anything for a kind lady like y'urself." He smiled, before standing up. Cas followed behind him. Sure enough, there was her tent, set up to right of his on the edge of the camp. He pulled open the fabric for her to walk into the small area she felt safe in. She missed her tent, though sleeping on a bed was wonderful while it lasted.

She set her satchel on the side table where a small daisy sat. She couldn't help the smile that graced her pale features. She sat on the cot, one she had bought a while back, before they settled in West Elizabeth. Her blanket sat neatly folded on top. She turned to see Arthur standing barely inside of her tent as he held the fabric open. She couldn't stop the impulse that guided her to wrap him into a hug. She felt him stiffen slightly. She was close to letting him go, figuring it wasn't polite of her to embrace him without permission, but he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Thank you so much Arthur. It means so much. I feel like I'm at home again. I missed you all." She couldn't help but breath in the musk from his blue working shirt.

"We missed ya too Cas. It's good to have you back. The Sages too." She pulled away from him as he spoke. He placed a hand softly on the top of her head. She smiled gently at him. "You should get some rest Miss Serine. We'll talk more later." His hand dropped to his side, taking a step back from her. "Sleep well." She waved slightly as he turned his back to her and walking off. The fabric fell back closed as she sat back on her cot. She turned to her table, grabbing her book and pencil. She sketched softly of the fire lighting up the features of a certain cowboy.

 

_'It's good to be back home once more. It didn't start off great, with Dutch and Grimshaw being the way they usually are, but it's still nice to see everyone once again. It's great to sing around the campfire and have dinner together._

_It was great to see Arthur again. I almost had forgotten how intimidated and captivated he makes me. He's so kind, even putting up my tent for me. And the flower? I wonder if it was Arthur's or Charles' idea. Either way, it made me feel welcomed again. I feel like I'm at home once more with people I care about._

_I'm looking forward to talking more, Arthur._

_For once I feel tired. I guess it won't be another sleepless night. Good night I suppose.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave any notes or comments down below! I would appreciate it greatly! Also here are the links to the songs I used in this chapter.
> 
> Pat Works on the Railway: https://youtu.be/znU3d7GjDP4 
> 
> Oh my Darling Clementine: https://youtu.be/ebyiyntVQNM


	4. Of Bison and Poachers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sean is back in town, a party is thrown, Cas goes hunting with Charles, and things get fired up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First things first, if anyone had played the bison hunting mission with Charles, you may know where this is heading. Language starts getting strong towards the ending of the hunt. It gets a little... racey because, hey, this is 1899. I used direct dialogue from the game, so that's why that is the way it is. I hope you enjoy anyways. Also this chapter is hella long, (and on time) so please enjoy!!

She had actually slept that night, a rare occurrence honestly. She stretched in bed, pulling clothes over her chemise and drawers. She was buttoning up her vest when a random Alice appeared.

"I think Susan found a new target today." Alice sat beside Cas on her cot as the latter was putting on her boots. "Riley is one unlucky bastard." She laughed, Cas along with her.

"You know she'll get you eventually, right?" Cas smirked, exiting her tent with Alice leading. It was a cool morning that wrapped around them when they left the warm air inside the tent.

"Yeah, but not today. Me and Daron have a stagecoach to rob." Cas walked with her to her horse, Alistar. "Should be an easy job. How hard could a little coach be? Especially with two Sages on the case." She chuckled. "We'll be back tonight though." She mounted Alistar in a smooth motion. Cas patted the neck of the large black beauty, earning a satisfied snort from the horse.

"Just be careful. I guess I'll find something to do in the meantime." Cas backed away as the horse turned, ready to follow Daron out, who was already packed up and ready to go. Alice waved to her as they turned and rode out of camp together.

Cas walked back into the heart of camp, passing Riley, who was refreshing the water around the camp.

"Having fun there Riley?" She smirked as he walked by, his face flushed and a frown taking form at her words.

She sat at a table, slowly noticing just how empty the camp really was. It was just too quiet for the normal hustle around the camp. There were a couple bodies missing for sure.

The young woman decided to open up her journal and finish a light sketch she had started of Arthur late last night.  No one paid any attention to her as she sat alone. She took her time sketching lightly along the paper, the lead leaving smudges along the side of her hand. Even though the action was calm, she was actually becoming increasingly frustrated as she couldn't get his look right.

"Hello Miss Serine." A hand resting on her shoulder, causing her to jump. She looked up to see Hosea taking a seat beside her. His eyes glanced to her book, a look of sympathy and worry flashed behind his eyes. Cas was quick to put it away, not wanting another talk from the older cowboy. His face and voice was always gentle but she couldn't stand going through another harsh talk from him. "How've you been, dear?" He often used that tone with her, but she realized he got the hint and wanted to talk about something different as well.

"I've been okay. Here is better than... there. I've missed this family." Cas looked anywhere but him for a bit. "I feel welcomed." She looked him in the gentle blue eyes, ones that still held pity but slowly turned into something warmer.

"We've all missed you four. You're a part of our family. Our messed up family." He patted her head in a fatherly matter. Yeah, she missed this home.

"I'd hope." She laughed softly. She looked at the wood of the table, at all the nicks and cuts it had collected. "So..." she started, "who'd you miss the most?" She teased. He looked at her wide-eyed for a moment before his expression fell flat.

"I haven't the slightest clue at what you're suggesting." His tone was even and deadpanned. Hosea joined in on her laughter soon after she started. "How about some dominoes?" Hosea suggested to her. She loved dominoes with him, though she rarely ever won. She nodded, prompting him to set up the game.

It was all just small bantering as Hosea royally kicked her ass at the game. Cas had managed to score 3 points while Hosea had 36. Silence held for a few minutes before Hosea spoke.

"You think you'll ever see your parents and brothers again?" Cas grit her teeth.

"With any luck, absolutely not." Her voice was low as she started the game with a 6-6 piece. "I'd be happy to never see them again." Hosea frowned, but she knew he understood.

"I'm sorry for how they were." His voice was quiet.

"What's with the sour look?" Cas asked as she lost another round, adding six points to his score. She was bitter and hoped the light tone to her voice masked it.

"Just feel bad is all. I'm happy to have you here, but I wish you still had a family to go back to." Hosea was the closest thing to a father she ever had.

"I much prefer this Hosea, really. You're almost like a father figure to me, and me and Alice are so close we're almost sisters. And along with Alice comes her brothers, we all know that." She tried to joke. "I feel at home here. That house I was raised in doesn't hold an ember to what I have here." Her voice was soft as the older cowboy watched her with the faintest of smiles. "That house was a hell hole and this is just... all too good to be true."

It wasn't long before the game was over, Hosea being the victor obviously. Cas frowned at the domino pieces, cursing them for the luck they withheld from her.

"This is like trying to out-hunt Charles. I don't know why I still try." She chuckled, shaking her head lightly with a click of her tongue.

"And guess who's back?!" A thick Irish accent ripped through the once calm camp. In very little time, the camp was in disarray.

"Sean! Good to see you m'boy!" Dutch was first to call out to him. Hosea stood to see the Irishman as well. Cas watched from afar as the gang welcomed the man who's been gone since Blackwater. She jumped when a hand tapped on her shoulder lightly. Karen stood beside her with an unsure look, not one usually seen on her.

"Could I ask you a favor?" Karen still held her strong voice all while shifting nervously on her feet.

"Uh, yeah. I'm not really busy." She turned to face her, noticing the rifle on her back. Cas quirked her eyebrow in question.

"Could you maybe take my shift on guard? Just for a little bit?" Cas was slightly surprised. Well, not really the more she thought about it. She thought about teasing her for only a second. So, with a small smile she had agreed. She actually got to post when Daron and Alice rode in.

"You'll never guess what the Javier dragged in." Cas joked as they walked past her. Alice was close to asking what she meant when the sound of Sean giving a horrible speech caught her attention. Alice gasped before running into the camp, searching for the Irish lad. Daron was quick to follow and remind her to turn in the camp's cut from their job. Cas chuckled at the happiness of her friend as she continued to her post. She leaned against a tree, repeater in her hands as she watched the treeline. Valentine was popular with O'Driscolls and she was confident that they've made it out this far before. Though, she was sure there wouldn't be any trouble tonight.

Cas' light, almost amber brown eyes scanned the trees frequently. She was staying as alert as she could possibly be, which was why the snapping of a nearby twig made her jump sky-high. Her heart was beating out of her chest as she came face-to-face with a grazing horse. She stood frozen, eyes wide, before deflating with a groan.

"You scared the absolute hell out of me!" She lowered her gun, leaning into the tree once more. "Damn." She put a hand over her thumping heart. "You can't just sneak up on people like that." Her voice soft.

"Like what?" She about jumped out of her skin, whirling around. In her frantic state, she found a highly amused Arthur atop his horse.

"Son of a-mother-god damnit Arthur!" Arthur dismounting as Cas slid down the trunk of the tree until she sat in the dirt. He couldn't help but laugh as she glared up at him. "I'm actually in pain. You could've killed me, and yet you laugh. You absolute madman." She rested her head back as he leaned on the side of the tree beside her.

"You're alright." He chuckled. "Not much of a guard dog are ya?" She sighed, practically hearing the smile in his voice.

"I guess not. First a horse and now a sneaky fox. At least I didn't shoot you." She huffed, rolling her head across the bump her pony-tail made to look at him. He was beautiful. The blue light that streamed through the trees danced in his hair and over his figure. Too bad he couldn't see it. She often heard the compliments he’d shoot down, and it honestly made her feel a bit bad, sad even. She gazed at him a bit longer before picking up on the odd look he was giving her. Did he say something? She was debating on asking him what was wrong when a hand rest on the top of her head, causing her to yelp and spin to look behind her. A very amused Charles stood tall, while the sound of Arthur's laughter filled the still air.

"You awake now?" Charles spoke softly, a smirk playing on his lips.

"You shouldn't sneak up on me." Cas groaned, rising up off the ground. Arthur quirked an eyebrow at her.

"I don't think calling your name loud enough for the horses to hear is quite sneakin' up on you." Arthur let out a chuckle at her embarrassed face.

"Yeah, well... whatever. What'd you need?" Cas puffed out her cheek, switching her attention from Arthur to Charles. Charles who let out a shocked scoff, almost a laugh from his parted lips, couldn't help but smile.

"Did you fall asleep or somethin'?" Charles shook his head in playful disbelief. "I offered to take guard duty off your hands. And now that I see how scatterbrained you are, it's probably a good idea that I am." He laughed, grabbing the gun from her hands. Her ears burned as he nodded her off towards camp where Arthur had already started on his way.

The short female stayed a few lengths behind him, and the second she broke the treeline, laughter and music danced along the stars. Everyone was having such a great time, drunk and all. Soft music played from the phonograph in Dutch's tent as he danced with Molly. The redheaded woman smiled as they swayed, Dutch dipping her occasionally. Sweet Mary-Beth had even roped Arthur into dancing with her, swaying and turning to the soft music. A chuckle escaped his lips as he spun her in a circle. He looked really happy. Then off to the end of camp, a few lengths away from the dancing pairs was Alice and Hosea. They held each other close, dancing under the stars in bliss, away from the eyes of camp. Alice was the only one to make him smile like that, the only one since Bessie had passed away.

Cas had decided not to bother them and instead weaved through camp. Everyone was either relaxed, drunk, or both.

"You're a rotten man, John Marston!" Oops, almost everyone. Abigail had stomped away from the drunk and scarred man that reached for her. He cackled at whatever he had said prior. Abigail tore past Cas to her tent.

"Getting in trouble again, John? Careful before Abigail makes you dig your own grave." Cas warned, only earning more laughter from the greasy raccoon man. She rolled her eyes and made way to the crowded campfire.

"Miss Serine!" Javier called to her, his Mexican accent thicker from the alcohol he had consumed.

"Come sit lass!" Sean had reached out, grabbing her arm and pulled her to sit in the dirt, quickly pushing a beer into her empty hands. Karen laughed as she sat on the knee of the Irishman. Cas smiled, propping her arm on her raised knee, holding the glass bottle lazily in her fingers. The flames of the fire flared and heated up her cheeks. Around her, the drunk men and women (Karen) at camp sang songs and shared stories. Those around her were bottles deep when she was only half a bottle in. Granted, a fourth of her bottle soaked the dirt when Lenny wrapped an arm around her shoulders, forcing her to sway as he joined in on Ring Dang Doo. She laughed with them, not even buzzed, but thoroughly enjoying the light-hearted fun.

Little by little, people stumbled to bed. Not even sure if Uncle made it all the way to his tent before passing out. He might be somewhere close to Pearson's wagon. As long as he didn't crawl into a barrel of food, no one cared. The drinking contest between the Sage twins was slowly coming to an end as Riley couldn't even count to ten straight. Alice sat by Hosea at one of the tables with a whiskey in her hand as they exchanged words. They looked to be on cloud nine as they shared glances and smiles. Alice had long since let her hair down, black waves falling around her shoulders. Hosea's fingers casually brushing through the loose curls subconsciously. Cas couldn't help but smile, turning back to the campfire.

All who sat with her was Javier, John, Bill and Arthur. All were moderately to quite drunk. Except for Cas who didn't feel like having a second beer and instead opted for a can of peaches she had rolling in her satchel.

"Peaches your new beer?" Bill joked. "Can't handle the strong taste after all? Prefer something sweet?" The light jab was enough to provoke her to flip him off as she drank the peach juice out of the can. "It suits a little girl like you though." She narrowed her topaz eyes before licking the juice from her lips and hurled the now empty can at his head, hitting him in the temple as he tried to duck. The other three drunks laughed.

"She might look sweet like peaches, but she'll kick your ass." Arthur chuckled, putting the whiskey bottle to his lips once more. He shot a wink at her through the dirty blonde strands that fell into his face. She giggled softly, turning her attention to the fire once more. John thankfully started talking about a filly he had tried taming that ended in him eating grass.

"A wolf bite in the mountains just wasn't enough for you, was it." Arthur teased, acting more brotherly towards John now that he was drunk. Perhaps he'd forgotten about the betrayal of John leaving just for a moment due to the alcohol. John's face fell. Arthur couldn't help the laughter that rumbled from is chest. John clearly wasn't as amused at the taller cowboy.

"Very funny." He pouted, sipping more of his beer. He was quite drunk, so the hurt didn't last long. And though Bill was still upset by being hit in the head with a can, he was back to bantering. Cas listened in, not really too intently, only retaining bits and pieces of whatever drunken conversation the men were having. A strong hand rested on her shoulder, making her look up at Charles who sat on the log beside her.

"Thinking clearer?" He joked. She chuckled in response.

"Sort of. But how clearly can one think while being stuck in camp." She smiled. Charles was always nice to her, probably because despite the fact he was half black and half Indian, it didn't make any difference to her. She treated him just the same as she did everyone else, and she was grateful he treated her just as nicely.

"Would you like to go hunting then? Pearson has been whining about the lack of food we have." Charles offered, making the young lady extremely happy.

"Yeah, of course!" She tried not to sound too enthused, but probably failed based on the smug smile Charles had. "I mean..." She chuckled, rubbing her arm. "Sounds like fun. I'd like to join." She smiled up at him, sheepishly giggling. "Though I was just talking to Hosea about trying to out-hunt you. Impossible." She laughed, pulling him to laugh with her. "I should probably go to bed then." She stood, dusting off her jeans and patting Charles' shoulder. Her five-foot-two form walked around the circle of men, catching glances.

"Where are you off to? The night is young!" Javier grinned, calling out to her. She snorted, shaking her head lightly.

"Bed, but continue having fun for me." She rested her hand on Arthur's shoulder lightly. "Y'all relax and get some good sleep." She glanced at each of their faces before walking off towards her tent. A string of 'good night's followed after her as she retreated.

Once inside her tent, she pulled her boots off and shimmied out of her clothes and into a purple chemise and drawers set. She threw her satchel to the foot of the cot and shut off the lantern, snuggling deep into her blanket.

Try as she might, no matter how long she laid there, it was a good hour or so before she finally fell asleep. Even after that, she was only able to stay asleep for a few hours, eventually waking up just before dawn. She tried desperately to sleep, but just ended up watching her tent slowly light up in the early morning light. Not long after she had gotten up and pulled on some clothes. She slung her satchel on which had, at one point, fell on the ground. She began combing through the ratted tangles atop her head.

She was walking out in the dewy morning, hands working the tie in her hair when she saw Alice up. She was sitting at one of the tables, a book in one hand and a coffee in the other. She'd probably been up for a little bit based on how nice the bun in her hair was. Cas walked over to her, quietly taking a seat beside the focused female.

"Hey." Alice's voice was even, not sparing a glance to her friend, far more focused on the words before her eyes. Not that Cas minding in the least. In fact, this was normal. Not many people could interrupt her reading and get away with it.

"Hey. Where's your man? Hungover and all danced out?" Alice couldn't help but smile at her teasing. Cas was just about the only one to get away with it.

"No, shut up. He went huntin with Arthur actually. Apparently saw a huge bear or something." She only side-glanced as she told her to quiet and then went back to reading.

"Huh, that's cool. I'm actually going hunting too." Alice quirked a brow. "Charles." An answer that provoked no more questions. "It was a nice offer. Do you have any plans for today?" Cas rested her cheek on the cold and slightly wet wood of the table. Alice shrugged her shoulders.

"I think Daron still wants to go camping. Who knows. Riley still wants to go rob a train." Alice talked quietly. She had finally shut her book when she had finished her coffee, leaning her chin on the palm of her hand.

"You could always do both. I dunno. Take two days, invite Sean and Javier or something along and go camping, learn about the train, and rob the next day. It'd make both Daron and Riley happy at least." Cas shrugged, standing up from the table and stretching her shoulders and back. Her eyes scanned the camp, searching for Charles before spotting him at his tent, sharpening a knife or arrow or something.

"Yeah, that sounds like a decent plan. Would certainly make them both happy, and I sure do miss spending some time with my red headed Irishman." Alice stood beside her, a hand on the back of Cas' shoulder. "Now you better hurry up. Don't wanna be late for your huntin' lesson with Charles, the master hunter himself. And who knows, maybe you'll learn something from him and won't starve to death if you ever got lost." Cas hip checked her at the smart words that were falling from the ravenette's mouth. They just laughed in the end, no hard feelings. "I'm gonna run the idea by Daron today, I'll let you know what happens." Alice patted the smaller female's back before strutting off towards her brother's tent. Cas waved her off, continuing onward to Charles. He was quick to greet her when she stood before him.

"You all ready to go?" Charles stashed away the knife that was in his hands before standing and grabbing his gun.

"Sure am... I think. Know where we're going this fine mornin'? And what we're huntin'?" Cas stood patiently as he gathered his guns and other supplies he'd probably need.

"Bison. There's some over on the plains, I believe. I saw a couple a long way off earlier. I'll show you how we hunt one." Charles started off towards the horses, Cas a few steps behind him.

"That'd be great. All I really know how to hunt is deer. Oh, and rabbit I guess." Cas unhitched Nova, bringing the large horse away from the post before jumping on and settling herself in the saddle. Charles chuckled at her earlier comment before they started making their way out of camp.

"Y'know, it was before my time, of course, but my mother used to tell me stories of how her tribe moved with the bison. They lived almost as one. Where the bison went, my people went." The horses sped up to a soft canter. "They were the center of all life... we couldn't survive without them. They provided us with everything... food, clothing, shelter, tools." They had just past under the broken tree structure that stood at the entrance of the camp while Charles chatted. "There was a lot of respect..."

"As crazy as my childhood used to be, I remember my dad and brothers always chasing after the best alcohol. I remember the smell of whiskey the most I think. I guess they kind of moved with it." Cas kept her tone light, even though it was a tough subject to look back on. She didn't want Charles to do all the talking, she wanted to contribute some too. Charles laughed a bit.

"Well, my father did that too." They rode the trail before them. "Let's try over here to the left." They cut off the trail and into the plains, coming to the top of some rock. "Over there, you see them all? Incredible, aren't they?" Coming into view were bison grazing the green down below slightly, maybe about ten or more of them.

"Wow." Cas was slack jawed as they came to a stop, peering over them with Charles beside her.

"We should only kill one of them." The brunette nodded in agreement at his words. "I'll keep them ringed in and you see if you can bring one down." Cas was nervous for a second, before thinking that he trusted her enough to let her try for herself. "Okay? Clean as you can."

"Alright, I'll try." Cas watched as he nodded and rode his horse down to where the bison were. He was quick to gather and chase them as Cas and Nova followed behind a few seconds after he had gotten them riled up. She pulled her Carbine Repeater from its place on the saddle and held it in one hand while the other kept a hold of the reigns. She targeted the one at the back of the pack, keeping a few paces behind the others and Charles. She patted the neck of Nova and trusted her to gallop without instruction while the young outlaw held up her gun and tried to keep it steady against her shoulder. Her hands shook lightly as she aimed behind the front leg, presumably where the lungs and heart would be. She took two consecutive shots, hopefully piercing the lungs with one of them. The bison began to stumble before falling into the dirt, dead.

"Well done." His praise made her smile as she jumped off her horse and over to her kill, head high with pride. "Alright, skin and butcher it. Take the horns too. It can all be used."

"Haha yeah okay, did you forget how stupidly small I am Charles?" They laughed together as she made her way toward the beast of an animal with a knife in her hand. "I guess I'll try." And she did try, genuinely, but still struggled which caused Charles to help her and give a few tips on how to make it easier on her. But soon enough it was skinned and everything they could take with them, was taken.

"Good job." He spoke, earning a snort from her as she picked up the goods they had tied up and slung it over her shoulder. "Stow that on your horse and mount up." He mounted his horse, waiting for Cas as she secured everything on her saddle on the flank of her horse. "I want to go check something out."

"Alright, I'm right behind you." She jumped up on Nova once more and trotted behind Charles. "Where to?"

"I thought I saw some scavenger birds over here... just wanted to see what attracted them." Charles took the lead through the plains, following where his sights landed a bit ago, probably when Cas was busy with the bison. So they rode forward until Charles stopped before a sight of four decaying bison laying in the dirt, fairly close to one another. "No, look. Bison. Shot and left for dead it looks like." He sounded thoroughly upset with the view before them. Exposed ribs and muscle showed from the skin from both decay and from the birds that would eat off of them.

"Why would someone even think of doing that? They didn't take anything from them." Cas rode a bit closer to the carcasses for a better look.

"I don't know, but I see tracks heading in this direction. I say we follow them." Determination was evident in his voice, and so was anger.

"Lead the way, Charles." Her tone was soft, unsure, but she followed him anyways. He was great at tracking, and her not so much, so she had to trust him and have him take the lead while she followed him like a sheep. They started a light gallop, a wagon following the trail to the right of them as they rode through the weeds and dirt. "Maybe it was a pack of wolves or something."

"No, they'd been shot. I just don't know why anyone would just leave them there to rot like that." His words were bitter as they followed behind the wagon for a short distance before coming upon another carcass off of the track. "Look, another dead bison. On that hill to the right. Come on." They took off toward the dead animal in the plains. "Shot and left for dead again. But this one looks fresher." His voice deep in contemplation.

"Well there's a camp over there. I'll go take a look." The brunette slipped off her horse and walked over to the abandoned camp, taking in any information the remains would tell her. It was only a few yards from the dead animal. Empty boxes, blankets, and smoking logs which showed to her that it wasn't too old. "Maybe a few hours, or half a day since they've been here Charles." She trotted back over to her waiting steed before mounting.

"Bison has been dead about the same amount of time."

"So, what do you want to do?" Her eyes showed concern, but probably more for the people Charles is more likely to chase after for their ill morals.

"They could still be in the area. Let's get up higher, see if we spot anything." Charles took the lead once more. "This way. We should have a good view from up here." They galloped toward a hill where wild horses were quick to leave upon their arrival. They came to a stop, straining eyes around their surroundings. "Okay... you see anything?" Cas searched from left to right, trying to find any hints of activity before his voice pulled her attention toward him. "Cas. Look. Smoke to the north. Could be another camp." And sure enough she saw it too.

"Let's go see then." They raced that way together. The smoke gathered behind a large rock, like a shield of who might've been behind it.

"Bastards. Just killing for fun." Charles spoke through gritted teeth. Cas had tried to question the hypocrisy of being in a gang before he cut her off. "I don't kill for fun, I kill when I need to." She nodded her head, understanding and relating.

"I guess I feel the same way." She was so quiet, he probably didn't hear her over the beat of the hooves on the hard dirt.

"Look, more dead bison. It has to be them. Come on!" Charles pushed his horse harder as they rode through littered corpses. His anger dripped off of him like rain off the leaves in spring.

They finally reached the camp, Charles dismounting his horse quickly, leaving Cas struggling to keep up with his strides. Two men sat around a fire, not expecting their arrival by any means.

"Did you fools shoot those bison?"  His tongue dripped venom as he spoke to the greasy men.

"What's your problem?" One so arrogantly responded as Cas had finally caught up with her comrade.

"I said, did you fools shoot those bison?" Charles was slowly losing his patience as he spoke to the men. Cas stood about a foot behind him, nervous of how Charles may act towards these dimwitted fools. One slowly began standing up, the one with the hat who almost tried to intimidate them by standing tall.

"Calm down, you black or red bastard, whatever the fuck you are." His words made Cas' blood boil at the disrespect they had the nerve of showing them. The other man began to stand as well.

"Did you shoot them?" Charles snapped, yelling and pointing a finger between the two blockheads. It was the other man's turn to speak up.

"Yes, we did. We shot them bison and we'll shoot you too if you don't get." Charles turned to the bald headed man with an unforgiving look in his eyes. Cas took a timid step forward, ready to jump in if it got too serious.

"What business is it of yours what we-" The hat man started before a loud gunshot from Charles' gun silenced him, surprising him enough for him to fall back into the dirt. That shot silenced the other man too, but because the bullet from that gun was embedded in his chest as he fell back dead. It all happened in a blink of an eye, but Charles was quick to answer the unfinished question.

"It's that business of mine!" His voice was raw with anger and disbelief.

"Good god, you're crazy!" The man cried out, his hat gone and forgotten somewhere behind him from the fall on his backside. He held his arm up, almost to shield himself from the seething man before him. "Look, I got a family... a family. Don't shoot me." Cas scoffed at his pathetic plea for his life. He was a guilty man, and not only was he disrespectful, he was a low-life piece of trash. Her steps never faltered as she stalked toward him, angry as hell, though probably less so than Charles who watched her in curiosity. She kneeled over him, a knee digging into his stomach with a hand wrapped tightly around the collar of his shirt. "What the hell are you doing?" He panicked as she drew her fist back.

"Why are you out here killing bison and leaving them to rot?" She asked after she had given a good hit to his cheek. His expression was pained when he looked back at her, hands going to grab at the one on his shirt before she maneuvered it to grab his throat instead.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" He gasped out, one hand up to try and plea, or maybe defend himself, while the other clamped around her forearm to ease her from choking him, which she didn't let up on. She pulled back and hit him twice more, reddening up his cheekbone and eye socket.

"Don't bullshit me or I'll kill you right here. Poachers like you really piss me off so stop trying your luck. It won't end in your favor." She spat, watching the fear register behind his eyes.  She punched him twice more for good measure before giving him time to talk from his now bleeding mouth.

"Okay! We were paid to kill as many as we could. To make it look like it was Indians." He finally confessed. She sneered, wondering just how stupid his logic could possibly be.

"Just kill him, Cas." Charles scoffed out, clearly tired of the bullshit coming out of his mouth just as much as she was.

"No, please! Don't kill me! I'm begging you!"  His expression read fear as he pleaded to her, but honestly she was past the point of no return. She threw him down, his head bashing into the earth before she forced her knee into his gut, causing him to cough out what air he had swimming in his lungs before she wrapped her hands around his throat and squeezed, denying him of any air in or out.

"I've heard quite enough." She gritted out, not stopping until his body went lifeless, until he stopped struggling beneath her. She stood back up, taking a few steps back.

"Damn right." Charles spoke behind her, clearly pleased with what she had done. "That's what he deserved." He started back towards his horse. "I've seen enough of this. I'm heading back." Cas had finally started coming down from her anger-induced high in time to see him mount his horse.

"Alright. I'll strip this camp and head back in a moment." Charles was silent as he took off after her words.

She was quick to loot their camp and whatever they had in their pockets. Even going as far as to loot the saddlebags on their horses before sending them on their way with a yell to 'get'. She honestly hadn't found much, but she was about 2.34 richer than she was before. She whistled to Nova, mounting her when she trotted by. The more she thought about it, she was quite sick with how she had murdered that man. She was so overcome by anger, she gave into violence and felt his life drain from beneath her fingers. Then again, a bastard like that deserved it, even if it was against how she did things.

"Come on girl, let's get back to camp." She patted the neck of Nova as they rode back to Horseshoe Overlook, not having any trouble along the way. When she had arrived to camp, she had noticed Charles didn't make it back yet. It was about late afternoon, but she had figured he had gone to cool off. It was a side to him she wasn't used to seeing. Usually he was so calm, and quiet even, but this time his anger fed into her. She understood and didn't judge him for it, but she hopes he'll be okay soon.

She hitched Nova, taking the bundle of bison off of her flank and brought it to Pearson. The plump man was absolutely delighted at the food. She had kept the pelt and horns, almost like a reminder, and gave him all of the game meat she had to offer. He was giddy as he began putting some to use right away and storing the rest. While he was occupied, she made her way to her tent without drawing too much attention and enclosing herself within. She rolled and tossed the pelt into the bottom of her chest at the end of her bed after she had cleaned it to the best of her ability. She sat on the bed, before a nice folded piece of paper sat on the table. She gingerly picked it up and unfolded it. The beautiful cursive was clearly Alice's with the notable way she looped her letters.

 

_"I hope your hunt went well. Daron was pleased with your idea, but Riley was too impatient to wait. I roped along Sean and Bill to come with us. I figured you'd be quite tired when you got back from hunting. Didn't want to leave you behind, but I figured it'd be best for you to get some rest and take care of yourself for once. We'll be back in a few days or so. Hopefully we can plan an outing for ourselves, let my brothers fend for themselves for once. I'll see you when you get back! Remember to eat and sleep when you're starting to feel tired. I'll be back soon enough to force your stubborn ass to eat and sleep. See you chicka."_

 

Cas smiled lightly, tucking the note under an old book Alice had given to her when they were young. It was a safe-keep spot. It was a sweet note she'd given to her. Actually, she was feeling tired, not hungry, but tired for sure. She knew Alice would be there to yell at her if she went to bed on an empty stomach, so she ate a small can of strawberries before kicking off her shoes, taking off her gun belt, and climbing into bed. It was still daylight, but she tucked her face into her pillow and tried to doze off.

It was a dreamless sleep, and she was only woken up when Mary-Beth had entered her tent, shaking her shoulder lightly. Cas was slowly brought out of her sleep, the more Mary-Beth called to her. She sat up, her shirt and vest slightly twisted as she turned to the other female.

"Yeah, yeah whatcha need?" While propping her weight up with her left arm, she rubbed her eyes with the other. It was clearly dark out based on the lantern that had been turned on.

"Charles asked me to make sure you got some food. It was your kill after all. He also told me to tell you thank you." Her sweet smile made Cas feel at ease. She sat up in her bed, taking the bowl she had handed to her. It was still hot, steaming softly.

"Thank you so much, Mary-Beth. Much thanks to you and Charles for looking out for me." Cas pushed her hair out of her face, her hair tie must've fallen out in her sleep. She smiled gently up at Mary-Beth that left her tent with a small wave and a grin on her lips. Cas tried to eat quickly with limited movement to try and keep the cloud of sleepiness over her. She'd prefer to sleep all night, but she desperately needed food on her stomach before then. Too many times had she woken up due to an empty stomach.

When she was finally done with her food, she had shut off the lantern once more and set the bowl and spoon beside it. She shook off her vest and shirt, showing the purple chemise underneath, and unbuttoning her jeans before curling up in her blanket once more. She slowed her breathing down, trying to empty her thoughts so she could sleep once more. It had worked, the tendrils of sleep slowly wrapping around her, pulling her under.

The smell of smoke woke her up, jolting her out of the slumber that held her down. She buttoned up the top three buttons of her shirt. She had grabbed the duster jacket off of her table, throwing it on and rushing outside her tent. The whole camp was ablaze, tents burning to the ground, horses let loose or shot.

"Alice! Alice!" She ran to Alice's tent near the middle of camp. "Alice where are you?!" She ripped open the tent, finding it empty and scorched. Her breath became labored, worry and anxiety crushing her lungs. She stepped back, trying to clear her head in the smoke and flame that surrounded her.

"Lass!" A strong hand yanked her back into the ground. She fell on her back, staring up at the redheaded man that stood above her.

"Sean! What's happening?!" A loud boom pierced the air, blood exploding from he head of the man above her. She screamed, clawing at the ground and moving away from the body that fell over. Blood staining the grass and she crawled away. "No, no, no." She stood up, running to find anyone else. She saw Lenny at the front of the camp, almost like he was standing guard, completely unaware of the fire behind him. "Lenny! Lenny, what's happening?!" Panic filled her voice, and she ran and reached toward the lanky man. He turned to look at her, worry in his eyes. Two men stepped out from the trees as he turned to look at her. She tried to scream, to tell him to move or to even warn him of the danger behind him, but she was too late as they fired from their rifles, shooting Lenny to the ground. Cas froze, looking up at the men who stalked towards her, both looking slightly familiar.

"We've been looking for you. Mom and dad are quite finished with your rebellious stage." One spoke in a distorted tone, walking toward her. Ever step forward they took, she'd step back until her body reached another behind her. A hand wrapped around her throat, another over her eyes. Instinctively, her hands shot up to claw at the hands on her skin and panic rose through her body. "They're quite upset with you." A fist connected with her stomach, she wheezed out, trying to kick out in front of her but connecting with nothing. She felt tears press against her skin and drip down the pale surface. Fear shook her body as she was being dragged away, hands gripping the arms that held her and her feet stumbling to keep up with the man pulling her through the grass and shrubs.

Her body shook, jolting so fast up in bed that she was sure to have given herself whiplash. The nightmare clung to her body through the cold sweat that covered her skin. Her hand clutched the front of her chemise, almost trying to rip her heart out to calm the pounding against her ribcage. She scanned around her, noticing the lack of fire and smoke she saw before. It was still dark outside, so she buttoned her jeans, and dug through her chest, grabbing a jacket she had tucked away. She wrapped it around her, pulling it tight over her chemise before leaving her tent. It was before sunrise, sometime early in the morning, and not a soul awake. She kept on the outside of the camp, going to the campfire behind the tents and near the horses. She sat close to the fire, feeling it burn her exposed skin from the radiated heat.

"Rough night?" Tilly had walked up behind her.

"Why're you up?" Cas stared into the fire, not wanted to expose how rough of a night it really was with the look on her face. She knew she looked like hell with her hair sticking to the sides of her face.

"I couldn't sleep. You look like you've been through something tonight. A nightmare perhaps?" Tilly was always nice, putting her hand on Cas' arm in a reassuring manner.

"It's like my past is haunting me when I finally got away from it. Usually it doesn't involve anyone but me, but it involved some of you guys too." Her voice was soft as she confided in Tilly, her listening and rubbing her arm softly. "I saw Sean and Lenny die." She gave a breathless chuckle, almost in disbelief she was giving out this information freely. "I don't know if I could ever live through that again. It was horrible." She shuddered, trying to blink away the images that stuck behind her eyelids.

"I understand that. I saw a ghost in Valentine when we went with Arthur. Sometimes the past just comes back to haunt you. We're all here and we'll protect each other. Arthur had my back in Valentine, and I know he'll have yours. Plus I know Alice won't let anything happen to you." Tilly talked to her in a soft and reassuring tone, patting her arm lightly. "We're safe." She smiled, standing up and leaving Cas in front of the fire. "Get back to sleep, we can talk more at a more reasonable hour." She chuckled, walking back towards her tent.

"I'll see you later Tilly. Thanks for the talk." It was a few moments later before she decided to go back to her tent, retreating her journal from her satchel. She frowned, unsure, before grabbing her pencil.

 

_'I remember why I don't sleep often anymore. I can't stand dreams like that, downright nightmares. Tilly talked to me, hinting at her own demons that chase her at night. I wonder how she deals with them. I wish Alice was back, she helps me out the most. She's the sister I never had._

_I don't think I'm sleeping again, and Alice won't be back for another day. Perhaps I'll spend some of my time with Tilly and the other girls. Sure, Grimshaw will expect me to work, but I'll be able to spend time with them. I need a break, something to rest my head for a bit. I feel pathetic, but if I have to go back, I'll lose my mind.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to update every weekend until I say otherwise. Might slow down in May and there are just something that I can't work around. But I'll try my best!! Kudos and comments are much appreciated and I'd love to hear your thoughts!! Thanks for reading!!


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